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Thanks for visiting Consumerist.com. As of October 2017, Consumerist is no longer producing new content, but feel free to browse through our archives. Here you can find 12 years worth of articles on everything from how to avoid dodgy scams to writing an effective complaint letter. Check out some of our greatest hits below, explore the categories listed on the left-hand side of the page, or head to CR.org for ratings, reviews, and consumer news.

The first time I ate a hot dog from a New York City street cart I felt like I’d taken part in some mysterious initiation rite — would I get sick from eating “street meat” and either way, did I just prove I was cool enough not to care or worry about it? While I (and countless others) have come out just fine on the other side of a plate of rice and meat sold on the street, there’s always that underlying hesitation of, “Is this really sanitary?” [More]

There’s perhaps nothing so nice as a cool treat on a hot day at the beach, but in one Rhode Island seaside town, opponents of street vendors say the mobile businesses cause too much traffic congestion and other problems. The town has now banned street vendors — except during certain times like festivals or fairs — but one purveyor of Hawaiian shave ice isn’t ready to roll out of town and away from all those beach dollars. [More]

Look, we all know that there is a certain level of self-delusion involved every time we buy a hot dog from a street vendor, but we’d like to believe that any street-meat seller whose lack of cleanliness merits multiple Dept. of Health violations would be put out of business. Which is sort of true, in that the sketchy hot dog dealer merely can merely resurrect his business under a new name with a new license. [More]

It’s a problem that’s common to men and women who drive trucks, make deliveries or work outdoors — When do you go to the bathroom? Well, a law recently passed in New York City gives street vendors an easy answer: Never. Just ask Mohammed Shirajul Islam, a 10-year veteran of the business who is now without a permit because he dared to answer nature’s call. [More]

If you were laid off from your job, or can’t find one in the industry you trained for, you can always sell food to people on sidewalks. That’s what at least two people are doing in New York, while a third has opened a cart to supplement his regular income. Update: But don’t expect to actually make any money, according to this article tipped to us by Zach.